Went out to a lad in an artic, he’d snapped the red suzie screwing the trailer around in a tight yard. Easy done.
Fitted a new suzie, told the lad to fire it up. He jumped in the cab, started up and tried to pull forwards.
“It won’t move”. No, it won’t, give it time to build the air up.
Air built up, he tried again.
“It still won’t move”. No, it won’t, the trailer brake is on.
"Well who put that on, I didn’t ? " Oh dear, quick course in brake systems required.
The lad had no idea how his brakes worked whatsoever.
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
cieranc:
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
Plenty of wagon drivers like that. When I’ve snapped suzies and they’ve been the type that are just push fit at the cab end, I’ve repaired them myself with a pocket knife and a bit of elbow grease. I’ve bailed out one or two “old timers” who’ve done the same and appeared incapable of working out how to fix it.
Piston broke:
ALL of our managers… 
Yep, anyone who works in a transport office
cieranc:
Went out to a lad in an artic, he’d snapped the red suzie screwing the trailer around in a tight yard. Easy done.
Fitted a new suzie, told the lad to fire it up. He jumped in the cab, started up and tried to pull forwards.
“It won’t move”. No, it won’t, give it time to build the air up.
Air built up, he tried again.
“It still won’t move”. No, it won’t, the trailer brake is on.
"Well who put that on, I didn’t ? " Oh dear, quick course in brake systems required.
The lad had no idea how his brakes worked whatsoever.
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
Truth to tell I do,but I don’t need to. What I need to know is when I press that pedal the vehicle will slow down or stop.
not all trailers have the park brake come on when the red air line is snapped
it would be just the same as removing the red air line, i remove mine and then put the trailer brake on, it does not come on automatically
cieranc:
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
Probably about 90% of mechanics/fitters i’ve come across. They all seem to need to be able to plug a laptop in to find the fault?
David Cameron.George Osborne…Millipede…the list is endless…no experience for the job
Mike-C:
cieranc:
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
Probably about 90% of mechanics/fitters i’ve come across. They all seem to need to be able to plug a laptop in to find the fault?
Ahhh we’re still using test lights and multi-meters for the non-mechanical faults!
Mike-C:
cieranc:
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
Probably about 90% of mechanics/fitters i’ve come across. They all seem to need to be able to plug a laptop in to find the fault?
Years ago we had mechanics, now we have vehicle technicians, major difference is a mechanic had eyes, ears and drawers full of snap-on kit, technicians have a laptop and diagnostics to tell them what black box might be making the dash light up like Blackpool in winter.
As trucks become more complicated, there’s an increasing need for proper diagnostics kit.
Thats just the way things are moving on, diagnostics kits are quite essential for modern vehicles.
But there’s no good using a diagnostics kit without a firm and solid understanding of the underpinning mechanicals.
A diagnostics kit can be dangerous in inexperienced hands.
He was agency, as it happens. But that’s irrelevent.
This guy didn’t know that the truck wouldn’t move with no air in it.
Surely that’s something that any driver should know ■■?
Yes drivers who have no knowledge whatsoever of how the equipment works.
Simple running repairs or anything that requires a bit of nous, useless and they wonder why they get minimum wage. Lucky for them I aint the boss they would get a bag of old shirt buttons for pay.
Montmerency:
How can I put this? Err,you are not the boss and I am paid pounds to drive…I have mechanical and elecrical knowledge but I’m encouraged not to use it. Keep your shirt buttons.
True. I needed to change a headlight bulb once, was an Iveco and I needed to tilt the cab. Had a bit of time to spare so away i went, got the cab half tilted and was told to stop… not allowed. They got a fitter out later that day.
Not allowed to change a bulb, dashboard tells us if theres any faults, cruise control, automatic gearboxes, some trucks will even keep you in lane… lets face it a lot of us ARE mostly just steering wheel attendants.
After 21 years of driving trucks part-time on & off and a brief foray into owner drivership I admit I still lack knowledge of how artic brake systems work. Need a few hours in a class room me thinks.
What with some units that only apply the park brake to the drive axle whereas others brake all unit + trl axles, some have pressurised lines at rest, some don’t, some trailers, as discussed above, pop the park brake on automatically, others don’t, Volvo broms brake, some will charge a unit from the trl, others won’t, its all a bit of mine field. (or is that airfield 
)
At least I do know - and many drivers don’t, how to operate the secondary brake should it be necessary (presented lots of trucks for test) and that the system runs at 9 bar.
I just want to drive a nice truck, don’t care how it works-that’s what my local dealer is there for, isn’t it…
cieranc:
Who else does their job without knowing how things work?
Me. Unfortunately my driving course only taught me how to drive not the finer mechanical points of the truck. You’ve got to learn this stuff as you go on, I rely completely on kind drivers/fitters for learning how things on my truck work.
i was told my car would cost £500 to fix. £250 for parts, and £250 labour.
he plugged in a computer to figure it out.
It took an old toothbrush, an 8mm socket, some wd40, and a priming bulb.
I think we need to update the whole system of hgv training. when i say update, i mean go backwards to how people used to learn the job.